Wearable brain sensors for children with epilepsy
Developing and Assessing Wearable MEG for Children
Using small, child-sized wearable brain sensors to find where seizures start in children whose seizures are hard to control.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11238865 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will build comfortable, age-matched wearable MEG helmets that can be worn by infants and children to record brain activity. The team will use new optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) sensors and design helmets that fit different head sizes while reducing movement-related noise. They will test the system by recording epileptic brain signals (interictal discharges) in children and improve software to compensate for head motion. The goal is to make MEG recordings practical for pediatric surgical evaluations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with epilepsy—especially those whose seizures are not controlled by medicines and who are being considered for surgical evaluation—would be the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Children whose seizures are well controlled with medication and patients not undergoing surgical workup may not get direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier to pinpoint seizure sources in children and improve decisions about epilepsy surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Wearable OPM-MEG has shown promise in adults and lab settings, but adapting the technology and motion correction for very young children is new and less tested.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jas, Mainak — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Jas, Mainak
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.